The protest songs
have gone, yet
we still need them
LES WALTON on how
attempts to dismantle
one wall in the way we
educate our children only
led to the construction
of another
N the 60s, popular songs critical
of the controlling influence of
•w teachers, started to appear.
These new 'protest songs' contrasted very much with the 1963 Beach
Boys* very pro-school song: 'Be True
to Your School. Just lite your gal or
guy? In 1964 Tom Paxton sang 'What
did you learn hi school today?' a
song about the American school system, and how they are misinforming
our children with an optimistic outlook on history that's just not true,
Ihe ultimate school protest song
came along in 1979 in Pink Floyd's
rock opera "Ihe Wall! 'Another Brick
in the Wall' protests against rigid
schooling generally and boarding
schools in the UK in particular., With
this track, Pink Floyd provided the
voice for millions of students across
the globe.
So in the 70s the big protest was
targeted at the controlling influence
that teachers had over children.
In 1972, the English translation of
one of the most influential books
about education was published.
Every so often, I read a book which
not only transforms my thinking but
more importantly affects my day-today experience. Pedagogy of the
Oppressed written by educator Paulo
Freire has achieved "near-iconic status" and has sold almost one million
copies - remarkable for a book in the
education field.
I have never thought it was a coincidence that Pink Floyd came along
just after Paulo Freire. Freire calls
traditional pedagogy the "banking
model" because it treats the student
as an empty vessel (tabula rasa) to be
filled with knowledge, like a piggy
bank.
However, he argues for pedagogy
to treat the learner as a co-creator of
knowledge. In addition, he argues
the banking approach stimulates
oppressive attitudes and practices in
society. The child should be an
active learner. The transmission of
mere facts should not be the goal of
education.
With the new CSE exams, introduced in the 1960s, control had
moved from universities to teachers
as designers of the curriculum. Politicians, as curriculum designers,
would come later. Teacher control
over the content was an important
feature of CSE administration in all
modes - even for CSE Mode 1 which
> Bob Geldof in Pink Floyd - The Wall, the 1982 film which was based on
Pink Floyd's album of the same name from three years previously
was externally set and examined. The
subject committee determining the
content of syllabuses was dominated
by teachers rather than university
academics.
The new CSE Mode 3 Examinations allowed the teacher to devise
the syllabus, get it approved and
then examine and mark it him/herself, with moderation. This was a
popular option for enthusiastic and
innovative teachers.
However, the thought that pupils
could co-design the syllabuses was
very rarely considered. The teacher
decided what was to be taught and
the pupil accepted what was given.
There was also one major drawback
during this period. Whilst CSE Mode
3 brought much in terms of innovation, pupils at that time were not
entitled by law to much of a broad
and balanced offer.
I attempted to apply aspects of
Friere's thinking to our Mode 3 social
studies syllabus. Pupils were
involved, albeit in a very limited way,
in the design stage. Part of the syllabus encouraged the children to
understand why they were deprived
and understand the barriers to thensuccess.
We examined the health and economic limitations they faced within
the north east We analysed why they
had fewer opportunities for employment, poorer health and even lower
life expectancy. If they understood
why poor white children from their
part of the North East did not succeed and recognised their own pan
in this process then they may do
something about the blockages.
This thinking became a critical
building block in my personal educational philosophy. 1 continue to
reject the idea that we need to compensate for the individual failings of
our poorer children.
I refuse to use the phrase 'disadvantaged children! It is society that is
disadvantaged by not accessing the
tremendous potential that these children bring. Our poorer children
must not be treated as 'unfortunates'
nor should we present 'middle class
children' as models to which they
aspire.
Today we believe it is the art and
duty of any teacher to engage the
young person in his/her own learning and make relevant and interesting subject matter. It should be a
shared journey, rigorously taught
and assessed.
Nevertheless, I would go further.
We also need our children to examine their own role in how they themselves limit their own opportunities.
The school should be a partner with
the child, helping the young people
to overcome barriers which limit
opportunity.
Protest songs about the controlling
influence of teachers over what is
taught in schools are rarely heard
today. Ironically with the increasing
'autonomy of schools,' control over
curriculum design has moved even
further away from the pupil and
teacher and now lies firmly in the
hands of central government, or
more truthfully in the hands of government ministers.
The voice of the child in the design
of the curriculum was rarely heard in
the 1960s and 70s. Today, like the
teachers, it is silent- There is now not
only another brick, but also another
wall.
S. Les Walton CBE is chairman of
the Northern Education Trust.